This 645-room hotel looks and feels like a shopping mall, with chain restaurants on the ground floor, an escalator to the lobby, and service that seems to emphasize speed over personal touches. But the beachfront location is great, and recently renovated rooms feature fun décor and flat-screen TVs. Plus, most have ocean views.

Part of the Aqua Resorts chain, the 217-room Luana Waikiki is a low-key condo hotel located a few minutes' walk from the center of Waikiki. The property borders Fort DeRussy Beach Park, which has one of the finest white sand beaches on the south side of Oahu. Because it’s not right in the city center, the Luana Waikiki offers the best of both worlds: peace and accessibility. Nightlife fans who want easy access to dancing and vacationers who want to relax on the sand will both be happy.

The 125-room Shoreline Hotel Waikiki, a Joie de Vivre Hotel is an upper-mid-range property located two blocks away from Kalakaua Avenue and less than a five-minute walk from Waikiki Beach. With retro furniture and bright, colorful artwork the hotel has a cute, 70s-inspired look and feel. There aren’t a lot of extras (a small rooftop pool and bright lobby with free coffee), but the hotel does provide an excellent location for an affordable price. There’s another Joie de Vivre Hotel not too far away, Coconut Waikiki, which is less expensive but farther from the beach.

The mid-range, 496-room Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber Resort completed a $21-million overhaul to create this modern, tropical-inspired hotel. The rooms are generically decorated with beach accents, but are clean, spacious, and have balconies. Although it's not a waterfront property, it's a two-minute walk down to the gorgeous beach and is in the heart of a busy shopping and dining area. The hotel is outfitted with basic features like a pool and fitness center -- plus a Jimmy Buffet on-site restaurant. For guests that don't want to overpay for beachfront real estate (that would be the Outrigger Waikiki across the street), the Beachcomber is a solid choice.

With a branch of Nobu in the lobby, a beach across the street, and signing privileges at its adjacent high-end sister Halekulani, this well-priced boutique hotel appeals to foodies and families. The fairly simple rooms have high-def, flat-panel TVs (some have spectacular views) and the service is friendly, if far less doting, than at its sibling.

This property, a 30-story high rise at the southern end of Waikiki, is a five-minute walk from the waterfront and offers a combination of hotel-managed suites and privately owned and rented condominiums. Because of the mixed ownership, there is less centralized regulation over construction happening in the building, which some guests have complained can be intermittently loud. It is popular with guests seeking longer stays, including families and large groups, because of the option to rent suites with kitchens. The property itself has seen better days since its cameo in the opening credits of "Hawaii Five-0", but guests have fairly consistently commented on the cleanliness of rooms, and the renovated rooms are sleek and modern.

The Hawaiian Princess Resort is a gated community made up of timeshare condos, located right on a tranquil, white-sand beach at Makaha, in a residential area of Oahu, 45 minutes from downtown Waikiki. Quiet and with few hotel-like amenities, the Hawaiian Princess is best for tourists who want to spend lots of time on the beach, rather than avid sightseers or business travelers. Rooms are big with kitchens and balconies, but some of the decor (such as the floral bedspreads) is a bit dated.

Though its name says hotel, this mid-range property is actually 60 privately owned condo-type suites which guests must book individually with owners or a management company. The positive is that guests are guaranteed to be in a quiet area of Waikiki -- Hawaii's Gold Coast -- overlooking the ocean; the negative is you don't always know what you're going to get in terms of room amenities, so do the research. Most units have kitchenettes with refrigerators, coffeemakers, and flat-screen TVs. Shared features are few, but the venue does provide free Wi-Fi in public spaces, coin-operated laundry, and on-site parking.

The 198-room Ramada Plaza Waikiki is a mid-range chain located across the street from the Hilton Hawaiian Village and near the Hawaii Convention Center. Rooms are basic in decor and furniture could use an update, but there are flat-screen TVs and coffeemakers in all rooms and some have big balconies. Suites have kitchenettes with microwaves and stovetop ranges. There is an outdoor pool and sundeck, but the beach is a 10-minute walk away. A Chinese/breakfast buffet restaurant is connected to the hotel. The stylish Coconut Waikiki Hotel may be a better option for guests looking for a trendier hotel.